This application should take approximately 1-hour to complete. 

Si el español es su lengua materna, ¡tenemos un servicio de traducción para usted! Póngase en contacto con nuestro embajador cultural para hispanohablantes, Victor Borras. Puede ponerse en contacto con Víctor por correo electrónico: vicmborras@gmail.com. Por favor, copie a Elinor Slomba (artswestct@gmail.com) y Mina Khokhar (mina@newhavenarts.org) en su correspondencia electrónica. 

إذا كانت الإسبانية هي لغتك الأولى، فلدينا دعم الترجمة لك! يرجى الاتصال بسفيرنا الثقافي للناطقين باللغة العربية، عبير زنيت. يمكنك التواصل مع عبير عبر البريد الإلكتروني: abir.zenait@new-haven.k12.ct.us. يرجى نسخ إيلينور سلومبا (artswestct@gmail.com) ومينا خوخار (mina@newhavenarts.org) في مراسلاتك عبر البريد الإلكتروني.

West Haven Microgrants for Arts + Culture

          With the release of $116,250 of ARPA funds from the City of West Haven, The Arts Council of Greater New Haven (ACGNH) is proud to announce the rapid release of funds to stimulate arts + culture activity in West Haven, CT this summer. Alongside our partners at ArtsWest CT, we are working to distribute microgrants of $2,500-10,000 each to artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses in West Haven. 

          In accordance with our contract with the City of West Haven, the funds must be distributed, spent, and fully reported on by September 1st. What does this mean for grantees? Funded projects must spend their entire grants and submit final reports on their funds during the project period: July-August, 2024. Final reports are due to ACGNH no later than Friday, August 23rd to ensure that ACGNH remains compliant with the terms of these federal funds. 

          Given the rapid nature of this funding process, feasibility is one of the most important criteria for the panelists reviewing your application. We strongly encourage applicants to consider proposals that are easy to execute in the project period such as equipment purchases, GOS expenses (rent, subscriptions, etc.), artistic commissions, or offsetting costs of previously planned activities within the project period. Applicants should not submit applications for new projects or events that would need to be conceived, organized, and produced within the 2-month timeframe. 

          The primary goal of this funding is to stimulate the arts + culture economy in West Haven following the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Applicants who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, parents, are/have been systemically-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. 

BUDGET TEMPLATE

FAQ SHEET

ELIGIBILITY

• Location: Applicants should EITHER be based in West Haven (e.g. individuals residing, or businesses registered, in West Haven) OR proposing a project that directly serves the West Haven community (e.g. commissioning a West Haven artist or renting space in West Haven for your next event). 
• Age: Applicants must be over the age of 18 (if applying as individuals). Organizations/collectives applying must have a representative to receive the funds who is over the age of 18. 
• Arts + Culture Focus: While we do believe in an expansive definition for arts and cultural--and encourage creative folks of all disciplines to apply for the microgrants--the applicant should demonstrate that the funds will be used in ways to clearly engage in artistic, historical, and/or culturally-specific activities. Applicants who submit proposals focused on other disciplines with an "add-on" artistic element will not be eligible for funding. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The following are the criteria by which the review panel will evaluate, score, and award these microgrants. The questions are meant to guide your understanding of what we mean by each criteria, but are not the only  ways to understand these values. 

• Feasibility: Do you have the relationships and resources necessary to complete the proposal in the project period (July - August, 2024)?
• Equity + Inclusion: How does the proposal incorporate, serve, and/or support the historically marginalized residents of West Haven--especially the disabled folks, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and individuals of the global majority (BIPOC)? When applicable, does the application reflect equitable compensation levels for artists and administrators?
• Community: What community (or, communities) does the applicant serve within West Haven? How will this proposal activate, elevate, and/or support residents of West Haven? What partnerships will this project foster?

USE OF FUNDS

Because of the emphasis on feasibility, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that fall into the following categories. If you have an alternative idea to what we have proposed, please ask us in advance!

• General Operating Support (GOS): rent expenses, equipment purchases/rentals, subscriptions (web hosting, memberships, etc.), printing/mailing, contract labor (graphic designers, consultants, etc.).
• Project Support: physical materials, ground transportation, commissions, contract labor (performers, consultants, designers, etc.), advertising, venue rental, etc.
• Expenses can NOT include salaried employees paid via payroll (W-2 employees).
• PLEASE NOTE that if you receive this grant you will receive a 1099 and be responsible for paying income tax required by the law.

IMPORTANT EXPECTATIONS

• We expect that we will receive more applications than funds available. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding. 
• Feedback will be available to all applicants after the selection process is complete. 
• The ACGNH is working with the City of West Haven on a reimbursement process that requires ACGNH to front the money to grantees and receive reimbursement after grantees use the funds. Due to this arrangement, it is imperative that all grantees provide receipts, invoices, and all relevant financial documentation to ACGNH in a timely manner as they spend their funds. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of a grant. 
• Funds will be distributed in two parts: 85% upon the completion of paperwork (grant contract + W9), and 15% after ACGNH receives all receipts + invoices for the use of the first portion. 
• Grantees who do not submit a final report by August 23rd, 2024 will not be eligible for future funding through ACGNH until the final report is received.
• Taxes are not withheld from the grants, and all grantees will receive 1099s from ACGNH for the funds received. Grantees who are not 501c3s, or fiscally sponsored projects, may be subject to additional income taxes. 
• Final reports, like the grant application, will require a brief narrative description of grantees' experiences and learnings throughout the project period, along with a final budget reflecting the actual expenses incurred. 

TIMELINE

• May 1, 2024  - Application OPENS
• May 29, 2024 (11:59 PM Eastern) - Application CLOSES
• May 30-31, 2024 - ACGNH may reach out to verify eligibility or correct errors in applications
• June 3 - 23, 2024 - Panelists Review + Score Applications
• June 24 - 26, 2024 - Panelists Convene to Select Grantees
• June 27 - 30, 2024 - Notifications + Feedback Sent to All Applicants | Contracts Signed | W9s Submitted
• July 1 - August 23, 2024 - Project Period | Grantees Submit Expenses
• August 23, 2024 - Final Reports DUE
• September 1, 2024 - ACGNH submits all final reports and reimbursements to the City of West Haven

SUPPORT FOR GRANTEES

Through a partnership between ArtsWest CT and ACGNH, grantees are encouraged to reach out for support during the project period. For example:

• Elinor Slomba (ArtsWestCT) and Mina Khokhar (ACGNH) will be holding office hours for 1:1 support. (Please see the FAQ document for details about accessing this support.)
• There will be two live info sessions: May 8th (virtually) 6-7pm and May 9th (in-person) 10-11am. (Please see the FAQ document for details and RSVP links.)
• We may be able to provide support navigate city permitting or other government processes related to your project. 
• Through our extensive networks, we are happy to connect you to potential partners, vendors, and artists who may be able to assist with your project.

MEET OUR REVIEW PANELISTS

This grant review panel is comprised of Mayor Borer's appointees to a new Blue Ribbon Commission focusing on the use of West Haven ARPA funds for arts, culture, and tourism within the City. The commission is still under development and additional names will be added here in the coming days. 

• Tyler Newkirk, Owner and Curator of Tyler Newkirk Craft Company. 
• Caitlyn Maloney, Community Organizer with the New Haven Legal Assistance Fund.
• Paige Weinstein, arts patron and West Haven small business owner of Star Tire and Wheels. 
• Monique Bolt, Assistant Director for Visitation for the University of New Haven with an events management background.

NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS?

Contact Mina Khokhar (she/her) via Mina@NewHavenArts.org | 203-772-2788 or Elinor Slomba (she/her) via artswestct@gmail.com.